Tennis Verobeach

Mardy Fish Children's Foundation

Victor Lilov

Garrett Johns Wins 2024 Mardy Fish USTA Futures Title

· · Leave a Comment

by Harvey Fialkov

On Garrett Johns’ second match point, Victor Lilov ripped a forehand at the toes of the hard-charging Duke fifth-year senior, who scooped it up and delicately dropped it over the net with side spin and just off the line to capture his fifth $15,000 ITF World Tour singles title on a breezy Sunday afternoon on the clay courts of the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club in front of approximately 200 fans.

To see the incredible shot, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuutsfsMNas

“That might have been one of the best shots I ever hit; it was crazy,” smiled the second-seeded Johns after downing the third-seeded Lilov of Delray Beach 7-6 (1), 6-2 to win the 30th annual Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation futures tournament and earn $2,160 as well as 15 ATP ranking points which puts him at No. 433 in the ATP rankings.

“It was super awesome and I’m so happy to win it,” he said.

Johns, 23, who defeated the 20-year-old Lilov in the semis of an ITF $15,000 in Boca Raton last November, out-served the Canadian native (also a citizen of Bulgaria and the U.S.) to the tune of 10 aces, while winning 74 percent of his first serves. After exchanging early breaks in the first set, Lilov pulled out an 8-deuce marathon game at 5-6, including staving off two sets points on his second kick serves, to force a tiebreaker.

“My serve definitely came up in the big moments,’’ Johns said. “Serving well put some pressure on his service games a little bit. After losing that long 6-5 game I had the mentality that it’s a tiebreaker and anybody can win, and not to let the last game affect me. I did that well.”

Johns, a left-handed writer who plays right-handed, is coached at Duke by Ramsey Smith, son of Hall of Fame player Stan Smith, who boasted a huge serve. Johns started the tiebreaker with an ace and never looked back as Lilov’s game and shoulders began to sag.

“Six months ago, you beat me and you did it again, so thanks,’’ Lilov joked in his post-match speech. “After that long 5-6 game he started serving great and after I missed my [fourth] backhand volley and went down 0-3 in the breaker it was pretty much over and nearly impossible to break him in the second set.

“All credit to Garrett. I played the best I did all week, but I have to become better.”

Lilov, a Junior Wimbledon finalist in 2021, who fell short of winning his second ITF title, will improve to No. 598 in the rankings, and head to Orange Park in Orlando next week to compete in another $15K. He’s coached by Rudy Diaz, who operates the Developmental Tennis Institute in Miramar.

Johns, an Atlanta native who’s moving to Boca Raton after the college season, won three ITF $15,000 singles tournaments and four ITF $25,000 doubles tournaments in 2023 while taking the college season off. He won another singles title in Memphis in 2022, so the lanky 5-foot-11 Johns is used to being the last man standing on Sundays.

“I think my college career has done that, playing for a team is kind of bigger than yourself,’’ said Johns, an All-American singles player, who will compete in the upcoming NCAA individual and singles regional tournament. “There’s a lot of pressure so after playing that and coming here with ad scoring, I feel kind of comfortable.”

Co-tournament director Randy Walker read the inscription on the perpetual Mike Rahaley Memorial Trophy that says: “We hope we never see you again!” The saying is a nod to Rahaley, the late tournament founder, who often joked with players in the finals of this entry-level pro tournament that he hoped he would never see them again, insinuating that he wanted them to move up to bigger and better tournaments and not toil in the beginning levels of pro tennis.

“Now, I’m focused on playing some Challengers and getting to qualifying rounds for Grand Slams, but first I have to focus on finishing the college season,’’ Johns said.

American teens first pro title

Cooper Woestendick and Alexander Razeghi, a couple of 17-year-old Americans, showed that taking out the top-seeds in the second round wasn’t a fluke as the enthusiastic duo won their first professional title Saturday evening in front of a spirited crowd.

The 6-foot-3 lanky Woestendick, who was part of a doubles team to win the Junior Australian Open title in January, earned his first career ranking points this week, as he and Razeghi, his left-handed partner, eked out a 6-4, 4-6 (10-3) victory over brothers Alex, 25, and Miles Jones, 23, of Marina del Rey, Calif., in blustery conditions.

“It got pretty stressful for a second and then a tiebreaker, but we’re glad we got it done,’’ said Stanford-bound Razeghi, from Humble, Texas, who has won six Gold balls for winning USTA National tournaments.

The 6-foot-3 Woestendick from Olathe, Kan., who boasts a huge serve, had never won a pro doubles match in the two tournaments he entered in Wichita the last two years, was thrilled to notch his first ATP doubles singles and doubles ranking point this week.

“It’s cool,’’ Woestendick said of his doubles’ title. “No one can ever take that away from us that we won a professional tournament. Obviously, we both have a good future.”

Victor Lilov To Face Garrett Johns In Mardy Fish Vero Beach Futures Final

· · Leave a Comment

By Harvey Fialkov

On a sunny, yet blustery Saturday afternoon more suited for kite-flying and windsurfing, the semifinals of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event pitted four Americans for the first time since 2005.

Actually, the four doubles finalists are also American, marking the first time in the 30-year tournament history that all eight Americans reached this stage together.

In the noon semifinal at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club at Timber Ridge, third-seeded Victor Lilov, 20, who also holds citizenship papers in Bulgaria and Canada (where he was born), bounced back from an 0-6 second set trouncing to down Miles Jones of Marina del Rey, Calif., 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 to reach his fifth pro final that includes his only title in a $15,000 ITF in Peru in 2022.

“I didn’t deserve the first set as he was playing better but I was able to find a way to break at 3-3, love-30 and that was the difference,’’ said Lilov, a Junior Wimbledon finalist in 2021 where he lost to Samir Banerjee, now at Stanford University. “He got the momentum in the second set, and I got down on myself, acting a bit like a baby.”

The 0-6 or bagel loss didn’t deter Lilov, who recalled that twice before in his, “life, I came back from 6-0 down, including the Junior Orange Bowl 12s’ final,’’ said Lilov, who beat Bruno Kuzuhara of Coconut Creek that day at Salvadore Park in Coral Gables. Kuzuhara went on to win the Junior Australian Open singles and doubles in 2022.

“I said it can’t get any worse so I came out in a new set with more energy and told myself to put more balls on the court. … It was so ugly with the wind and the high bounces off the clay. It was so difficult to control. I got the early break in the third, went up 3-0 and he went down after that, so I took advantage.”

Jones, 23, who was into his first career ITF semifinal and first doubles final with his brother Alex, 25, said he got too impatient in the third set.

“He played better tennis in the worst conditions,’’ said Jones, who like his brother sports a stylish one-hand backhand. “The break at 3-3 in the first was pivotal. I focused on getting ahead in the second set and not give up on long rallies. His level dropped. In the third, the complete opposite happened. It’s the first time I won a 6-0 set and lost. I hope it’s the last time.”

Lilov’s opponent in the 1 p.m. Sunday final will be second-seeded Garrett Johns, who converted 7-of-7 break points to outlast his close friend and housemate this week, fifth-seeded Will Grant of Boca Raton, 6-3, 7-5.

Johns, 23, who won seven ITF singles and doubles tournaments last year and is an All-American singles player at Duke, clearly displayed more poise at the most critical stages of the match.

“Super important playing the big points well,’’ said Johns, an Atlanta native, who will move to Boca Raton next month and live near his buddy whose couch he often uses when he’s in South Florida.

“I thought Will actually did a better job dealing with the wind than me in the second set, coming in, making some good volleys, moving me around a lot, but I stayed tough on the big points and got the win.”

Grant’s long-time British coach Damion Jackson was proud of his disciples resilience in the second set.

“That stood out for me. Garrett really took his chances and whenever there became a big moment, Garrett was the one that stepped up and played the great tennis,’’ said Jackson, who gave Grant his first lesson at age 3 in London where Grant was born.

“Both players struggled with the wind but kudos to Garrett, he played the better tennis when it mattered. Will could take heart with the second set but I think he was a bit fatigued from his match on Friday.”

Grant, 23, a member of the University of Florida National Championship team of 2021 with Ben Shelton, wouldn’t go down gently against his USTA National Hard Courts 12s’ championship partner.

Grant, ranked 738, showed his mettle, that helped him get to three ITF $15K finals last year (2 doubles titles. He trailed 2-4, 15-40 in the second set when he finally broke (4-of-11 on break points) to claw back in the match.

However, while serving at 5-6, 30-30, Grant’s normally reliable two-hand backhand let him down for an unforced error, setting up Johns’ sliced backhand which induced a Grant forehand into the net.

Lilov and Johns have met once before in a $15K in Boca Raton six months  ago when the fifth-year Blue Devil prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the semis.

“He’s a very good defender,’’ Lilov said. “It was very windy there, too. He took me apart there because he was better in the wind that day.”

Bulgarian Duo Making Waves In Vero Beach At Mardy Fish Tennis

· · Leave a Comment

By Harvey Fialkov

VERO BEACH – While six of the final eight singles players remaining in the draw of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation ITF $15,000 event are American, a couple of Bulgarians have also made their presence felt.

Granted, third-seeded Victor Lilov is playing for the United States, but both of his parents were born in Bulgaria. Lilov was born in Canada but moved to Philadelphia when he was 3. He carries three citizenships, and he also lived in Raleigh, N.C., but is now based in Delray Beach.

Lilov, 20, ended the fairy-tale run of 43-year-old Ryan Haviland, who operates a tennis academy in Greenville, S.C., in a tight 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals where he plays Etienne Donnet, the eighth seed from France.

Fellow Bulgarian, qualifier Dian Nedev, 20, joined Lilov in the quarters after outlasting American teen Kaylan Bigun for his fourth straight victory (including qualifiers).

Haviland, who came up through the junior ranks with Mardy Fish and enjoyed a standout career at Stanford before a series of injuries – including 10 surgeries on his knees and another on his elbow – but still enjoys the challenge of competing against players half his age.

“I’m 100 percent Bulgarian but I consider myself a Philadelphian,’’ said the 606-ranked Lilov, a Junior Wimbledon finalist in 2021, who is seeking his first ITF title. “I didn’t underestimate him. If I did, I would’ve lost.

“Eleven surgeries. I didn’t know that. I can only say that’s inspirational, awesome that he’s still coming out here competing. He doesn’t need it, but he finds the joy in competing and I like that a lot. For those kids to see their coach fighting, doing his best, can only be good for them to work with him.”

Although he had never won a pro match entering this tournament, Nedev took out top-seeded Christian Langmo of Boca Raton in a three-set marathon on Wednesday to earn his first ATP ranking point. A top junior in Bulgaria, Nedev was the national champion in every age division before a knee injury derailed his career from ages 19 to about 22.

“I just started playing eight months ago,’’ Nedev said. “I can’t say that I will win the tournament as it’s the first time I’ve played four tournaments in a row in two years. For now, I just want to stay healthy.”

After dropping the first set to Bigun, who will play for UCLA in the Fall, Nedev consulted his coach Kalin Davidov, a fellow Bulgarian, who owns and operates Inspiration Tennis Academy in Bradenton. Davidov’s son, Teo, is 14 and a renowned junior prospect known for his ambidextrous style in which he hits forehands from both sides as well as possessing the ability to serve right-handed on the deuce court and left-handed from the ad side.

“I just stuck to the tactics that Kalin told me,’’ Nedev said.

Ironically, Nedev’s opponent, Biglun, has also worked out at Davidov’s academy.

“I liked the fact he made some adjustments,’’ Davidov said of Nedev. “He improved his serve and return, adjusted his position on the court. He actually managed to stay calm and focused on the game. He didn’t get too emotional and that turned things around.”

On the back of Davidov’s Inspiration Tennis Academy t-shirt, is the phrase: I can do all things. Nedev does just that with a powerful forehand, a laser-like, two-handed backhand, as well as a big serve and delicate drop shot.

While Lilov resembles the legendary Roger Federer facially, he and Nedev can’t help but admire countryman Grigor Dimitrov, who used to be called, ‘Baby Fed’ because of their similar stroking styles, especially their one-hand backhand. Dimitrov, 32, once ranked third in 2017 before slumping to 58 in 2019, has enjoyed a resurgence of late and is back in the Top 10.

“We practiced in Sofia [capital of Bulgaria] when I was 16,’’ Nedev said. “It was amazing and outrageous. He was so kind to me and he still gives me shoes and stuff. He’s a generous person. I love the way he plays with such a nice attitude and sportsmanship.”

Lilov was coached by Stanford Boster from 16 to 18 but is now coached by Rudy Diaz at his DTI (Developmental Tennis Institute) in Miramar. Coincidentally, Diaz, a native of Paraguay, said he used to beat Fish in the 12s and 14s division, and it was Boster, who privately coached former Top 10er Fish and Hall of Famer Andy Roddick during their high school years at Boca [Raton] Prep.

Also on Thursday, Chad Kissell of Latrobe, Pa., reached the quarterfinals after a 6-3, 6-3 victory over American teen Mitchell Lee of Oakland. Kissell, 28, is a two-time Horizon League all-First Team selection for Valparaiso University (Ind.) and is now an assistant coach at Wichita State.

Kissell, who was a career-high 967 last year, will play fellow American William Grant, 23, the fifth seed who’s at a career-high 738. Grant knocked out Matthew Segura of Orlando (via Los Angeles), a four-time champion of this tournament’s wild-card qualifying event, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Segura, 23, is the great nephew of the late tennis legend Pancho Segura, who taught him to hit with both hands from both sides, although he predominately uses his left hand on the forehand side while serving with either hand.

Kissell had been bounced in the first round in his previous six ITF tournaments, dating back to a round-of-16 loss at this tournament last year.

Although American teens Cooper Woestendick and Alexander Razeghi dropped their second-round singles matches earlier Thursday, they teamed up to knock out the top-seeded doubles tandem of Sekou Bangoura and Noah Schachter, 6-3, 6-4 later that evening.

The Jones brothers, Miles and Alex of Marina Del Rey, Calif., also reached the doubles semifinal after a 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory over Cody Benton and Lachlan Gaskell. While Alex, a qualifier in singles, dropped his first-round match to Segura earlier this week, younger brother Miles Jones, 23, is still alive in the singles’ draw after taking advantage of an injured opponent, Arvid Nordquist of Sweden, who retired with a hamstring injury trailing 6-4, 3-1. Miles will face Nedev in one quarterfinal on Friday.

Dian Nedev

Former Wimbledon Junior Runner-up Victor Lilov Ends Ryan Haviland’s Vero Beach Dream

· · Leave a Comment

It’s pretty rare in men’s professional tennis that a player faces an opponent who is more than twice his age but that is exactly what happened to Victor Lilov Thursday at the $15,000 Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships.

Lilov, age 20, ended the dream run of 43-year-old Ryan Haviland with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 to advance into Friday’s quarterfinals of this U.S. Tennis Association Pro Circuit event at the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club. Haviland, a former Stanford standout who played junior tennis with Andy Roddick and tournament namesake Mardy Fish 30 years ago, won the doubles title in Vero Beach in 2003, a year before Lilov was born! Haviland was coming off an historic first round win over Miguel Cabrera of Chile where he earned an ATP singles ranking point that would give him the distinction of being the second oldest player with a singles ranking on the ATP computer (when Haviland’s point is registered with the ATP only Toshihide Matsui of Japan at age 46 will be older than him in the ATP singles rankings.)

Lilov, ranked No. 606 in the ATP rankings, is almost three years removed from when he was runner-up at the Wimbledon junior boys singles championship, where be beat current rising ATP stars Arthur Fils of France and Jerry Shang of China en route.

Lilov will continue to look to add a second ITF World Tennis Tour 15K title to his career resume and will face in the quarterfinals No. 8 seed Etienne Donnet of France, who defeated 2023 Mardy Fish runner-up Jaycer Lyeons 6-1, 7-6 (7).

The surprise of the tournament may be Dian Nedev of Bulgaria, who prior to this tournament had never earned an ATP singles ranking point. He won two matches in the qualifying rounds, including a first round win in qualifying over Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club pro and co-owner James van Deinse. In the opening round of the main draw, he beat top-seed Christian Langmo of Boca Raton to clinch his first ATP ranking point. On Thursday, he defeated rising American talent Kaylan Bigun 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 and will face Miles Jones of Los Angeles on Friday.

Garrett Johns from Atlanta and Duke University, the No. 2 seed, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over top U.S. junior and Stanford University commit Alex Razeghi of Humble, Texas 6-3, 6-4 and will face another top U.S. junior and college commit to another former PAC-12 school, UCLA, Rudy Quan, who defeated Australian Open junior doubles champion Cooper Woestendick 6-3, 6-2.

Former Florida Gator Will Grant advanced to the quarterfinals beating four-time Mardy Fish Sea Oaks “Wild Card” champion Matthew Segura 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. It was almost “Grant vs. Lee” in the quarterfinals but 2024 Mardy Fish Sea Oaks Wild Card winner Mitchell Lee was defeated by Chad Kissell of Latrobe, Pa., the last player accepted into the main draw of the tournament.

Play begins at 11 am on Friday and the schedule can be found here: https://www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/pro-circuit/2024/20240422_verobeach_m15/op.pdf

For ticket info, go to www.MardyFish.org

The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships has been held in Vero Beach since 1995 and, since 2016, has benefitted the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, the non-profit foundation benefiting children named for Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, a former top 10 tennis star, U.S. Davis Cup hero and silver medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Some of the past competitors at the USTA Vero Beach Futures have gone on to succeed at the highest levels of professional tennis, winning major singles and doubles titles, Olympic medals and Davis Cup championships and earning No. 1 world rankings. Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion who attained the world No. 1 ranking and helped the United States win the Davis Cup in 2007, competed in Vero Beach in 1999. Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who reached the second round of the Vero Beach Futures in 1995, won the Australian Open seven years later in 2002. Nicolas Massu, the 1998 singles runner-up in Vero Beach, won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, beating Fish in the gold medal singles match. Kyle Edmund, the 2013 champion in Vero Beach, helped Great Britain to the Davis Cup title in 2015. Other notable former competitors in Vero Beach include former world No. 2 Magnus Norman, former world No. 4 Tim Henman, 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov, 2022 U.S. Open semifinalist France Tiafoe, 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul and new rising star and 2023 U.S. Open semifinalist Ben Shelton. Former Vero Beach competitors have combined to win 19 titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Grand Slam tournaments. Eight former Vero Beach players have gone on to play Davis Cup for the United States – Roddick, Fish, Taylor Dent, Jared Palmer, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul.

Affectionately known as “Timber Ridge” to locals, the Vero Beach Tennis & Fitness Club has been a staple in the community for over 30 years and has been owned and run since 2016 by James and Joseph van Deinse. The club boasts 14 Har-Tru tennis courts, a pickleball court, pool and clubhouse with fitness center and bar. The facility previously hosted a $25,000 women’s USTA Pro circuit event in 2014 that featured future major tournament champions Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin, future top 10 star Jennifer Brady and future major doubles champions Nicole Melichar, Laura Siegemund and Gaby Dabrowski. The club is also the original home of the “King of the Hill” tennis competition, hosting the first seven editions of Vero Beach’s popular doubles competition from 1996 to 2002. The Vero Beach Fitness & Tennis Club will be the third different venue to host the tournament after being held at Grand Harbor Club for 17 years from 1995 to 2009 and in 2017 and 2018 and at The Boulevard where it was held for 11 years from 2010 to 2016 and from 2019 to 2022.

Founded in 2007, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation (www.MardyFishChildrensFoundation.org and @MardyFishFound on Twitter) currently supports over 2,400 children in 15 elementary schools, six middle schools, and several other community organizations in Indian River County, Florida by funding after-school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs in a safe environment to prepare them for healthy, productive and successful lives. The Foundation introduced the “Six Healthy Habits” in 2012 which are Get Sleep; Drink Water; Exercise Daily, Eat Healthy; Brush and Floss; Make Friends.

2024 Tournament Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor: PNC Bank, Grand Slam Sponsor: Michael Merrill, Broker Associate, Scoreboard Sponsor: Block and Scarpa, Attorneys at Law

Additional Event Sponsors: The Roberts Family Foundation, Carly Witteck, Realtor, Jake Owen Foundation, Boston Retail Solutions, Cliff Norris Real Estate, Bill Antle, Gene Simonsen, Michael Pierce, Bob and Emilie Burr, Lynn Southerly, John and Sara Marshall, John and Marie McConnell, Peter and Ellen Kendall, Jaime Yordan, M&M Realty, Foglia Contracting, Jim and Shirin Marver, Joe and Barbara Price, Weatherman Umbrella, Hazelton Marketing Group, Kitchens By Design, Minuteman Press, Linda Delaney, Charlie and Este Brashears, Michael Williams, Wendy and Chase Carey, Steve Rubin, Tom Collins Insurance, Evelyn’s Plant Care, Nalzaro Music, Natalie’s Juice 

Ryan Haviland and Victor Lilov (right)